The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as state regulations, mandate construction guidelines to facilitate access for disabled individuals. Among these regulations are those that specify the maximum slope of access ramps and that set limitations on the permissible degree of slope in walkways and parking lots. Under the laws enacted in accordance with these regulations, the maximum slope of an access ramp is 1:12, meaning that a ramp cannot elevate more than a foot over a 12-foot horizontal span. Further, a parking lot or walkway should not have a slope of greater than 1:20. I.e., paving may not rise or drop at a ratio of greater than one foot per 20-foot horizontal span.
When constructing building access areas, the slope in each of these areas must be surveyed to ensure that the appropriate regulations are met. Tools generally available for the purpose of determining the slope of a grade, such as surveying equipment, are typically expensive, bulky, and difficult to use.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and method for evaluating the slope of an access area that overcomes or minimizes these problems.